1965 Shelby GT350

The 1965 Shelby GT350 represents one of the most important chapters in American performance history. Conceived by Carroll Shelby to transform the Ford Mustang into a dominant SCCA B-Production competitor, the GT350 was engineered with one purpose in mind: winning races. The earliest examples, produced at Shelby American's Venice, California facility, were essentially street-legal competition cars featuring extensive suspension revisions, a high-revving Hi-Po 289 V-8, side-exit exhaust, quick-ratio steering, and numerous weight-saving measures. Their success on the racetrack quickly established Shelby American as a force in American motorsport, making these early GT350s among the most coveted production competition cars of the era.

Offered here is an exceptionally significant early production example and one of the desirable two-digit chassis produced during the model's inaugural year. Received by Shelby American on December 23, 1964, the car was completed and shipped on March 8, 1965, to Ray Hunt Ford in Daytona Beach, Florida. Purchased new by William Floyd on May 22, 1965 immediately began the career for which it had been built—competition.

Campaigned by Floyd in SCCA Southeast Division competition throughout 1965, this GT350 quickly proved itself on the racetrack. It captured first place in B Production at the 1965 Regional Daytona Nationals while finishing eighth overall, before earning another B Production victory in the Paul Whiteman Trophy Race at Daytona. By season's end, Floyd had accumulated three B Production victories, finished first in the SCCA Southeast Region, and ultimately secured an SCCA B Production National Championship—an extraordinary accomplishment that surpassed the competition record of many purpose-built factory GT350R models. Its documented racing pedigree makes it one of the most historically significant street GT350s produced.

Under the hood is its Shelby-prepared Hi-Po 289 cubic-inch V-8 producing 306 horsepower, equipped with the correct Holley four-barrel carburetor atop an aluminum high-rise intake manifold, cast Cobra valve covers, welded tube headers, and signature side-exit exhaust. Power is delivered through the desirable BorgWarner T-10 four-speed manual transmission to a narrowed Ford 9-inch rear axle fitted with 3.89:1 gears and a Detroit Locker differential. Finished in its iconic Wimbledon White paint with Guardsman Blue Le Mans stripes, it rides on Shelby Cragar wheels wrapped in period-correct Goodyear Blue Dot tires.

Inside, the black interior remains faithful to its factory presentation, featuring the Shelby fiberglass rear package shelf with covered spare tire, roll bar, Cobra wood-rim steering wheel, auxiliary gauge pod with 8,000 RPM tachometer, racing harnesses, radio-delete plate, and the correct trunk-mounted battery unique to these earliest production cars. Adding an especially memorable finishing touch is the late Carroll Shelby's autograph on the glovebox door.

Accompanying this exceptional GT350 is an outstanding history file including a copy of its original invoice, extensive racing documentation, remarkable period competition photographs, and detailed ownership history recorded in the Shelby Registry.

Combining early production status, documented period racing success, comprehensive restoration, and an SCCA National Championship this Shelby GT350 represents far more than one of the earliest Shelby Mustangs built—it is an authentic piece of Shelby American competition history and one of the most significant 1965 GT350s to become available in recent years.